II-VI tapes out DSP for 100 Gbps coherent optical access

by James E. Carroll

II‐VI has taped-out its Steelerton digital signal processor (DSP) for 100 Gbps coherent transmission in optical access and aggregation networks.  

The company says its Steelerton DSP, miniaturized and with ultralow power dissipation, typically of 2 W, was designed specifically to enable 100 Gbps digital coherent optics (DCO) in a pluggable QSFP28 format, one of the most widely deployed 100 Gbps transceiver form factors in access networks.

“The Steelerton DSP promises to bring 100 Gbps QSFP28-DCO transceivers into the mainstream in access networks,” said Matthias Berger, Vice President, Coherent Technology, II-VI Incorporated. “It’s a breakthrough solution that enables wide-scale deployment of full C-band tunable coherent transceivers into QSFP28 ports, of which there are tens of millions in service. The Steelerton DSP is less than one-fifth the size and consumes less than half the power of any other 100 Gbps coherent DSP commercially available.”

https://ii-vi.com/news/ii-vi-incorporated-develops-ultralow-power-dsp-for-100-gbps-coherent-transmission-in-optical-access-networks/

ADVA and II-VI debut 100ZR pluggable coherent transceiver

Tuesday, June 21, 2022  ADVA, II-VI  

ADVA and II‐VI introduced a jointly-built, 100ZR pluggable coherent transceiver for the optical network edge.The new Coherent 100ZR, which is rated for both commercial- and industrial-temperature (C-temp and I-temp) operating ranges, features the II-VI Steelerton coherent digital signal processor (DSP). The device plugs directly into existing head-ends, switches, and routers, enabling existing network elements to transmit 100 Gbps signals over links...

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IFS makes a splash: $1B fund, Arm & RISC-V support, Open Chiplet Platform 

Monday, February 07, 2022  Intel, Silicon  

by James E. CarrollThe newly established Intel Foundry Services (IFS) announced several initiatives to accelerate its entrance into the semiconductor fabrication market: a $1 billion investment fund, support for Arm and RISC-V in addition to x86, and pioneering work with chiplet architecture based on 3D packaging technology.The new $1 billion investment fund has three aims:Equity investments in disruptive startups.Strategic investments to accelerate...

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Intel intros NetSec Accelerator Reference Design

Intel introduced a new design blueprint that enables fast deployment of network security workloads.

The new Intel NetSec Accelerator Reference Design allows original design manufacturers to quickly build – and bring to market – PCIe add-in cards featuring Intel QuickAssist Technology (Intel QAT) acceleration and full Intel-based server functionality, including orchestration and management. Ideal for IPsec, SSL/TLS, firewall, SASE and analytics workloads, design-optimized cards can be integrated by network and security vendors within their solutions to expedite the integration of network and security functions and maximize the capabilities of server infrastructure at the edge.

Intel says its ecosystem partners are currently developing products based on the reference design. Silicom and F5 will be among the first to utilize the Intel NetSec Accelerator Reference Design to offer integration and acceleration of networking and security functions for rapid scale and time to market.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/docs/processors/atom/netsec-accelerator-reference-design-solution-brief.html

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Juniper adds Cloud Access Security Broker to SASE

Juniper Networks has expanded its SASE offering with the addition of Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) and advanced Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities to its Juniper Secure Edge solution. When combined with its SD-WAN solution driven by Mist AI, Juniper says it can now offer a full-stack SASE solution with visibility into both the edge and the data center.

Juniper delivers CASB and DLP to secure SaaS applications and help prevent unwanted access, malware delivery and distribution, and data exfiltration. Both capabilities are part of Juniper's Secure Edge cloud-delivered security solution managed by Security Director Cloud, which secures remote users and on-premises users alike. It easily manages Zero Trust and SASE architectures through one management portal using a single-policy framework. 

Key benefits:

• Prevent unauthorized access to data residing in the cloud by allowing only validated users to have access. Data access control gives security teams the greatest visibility and control over SaaS applications — both sanctioned and unsanctioned — including data, usage, compliance, threat prevention and access, which complements the suite of cloud-delivered security capabilities offered by Juniper Secure Edge.
• Expand visibility for IT operations and security teams with DLP by creating identity-based micro-perimeters around users, SaaS applications and the data within them, and keeping sensitive and confidential data within the organization safe.
• Protect SaaS applications from compromise by controlling user actions on a granularlevel, scanning all existing and new files within SaaS applications for malware, and preventing upload and download of the compromised files.
• Take a stepwise approach to SASE. Organizations can leverage their existing SRX security policies and extend them to their SASE architecture with Secure Edge to meet the business needs of today and beyond, growing with them as they expand their SASE footprint. Whether they’re starting with SD-WAN or SSE or both, Juniper is the only vendor in the market today that provides organizations with both the flexibility they need and the simplicity they want.

"The biggest challenge with SASE solutions today is that they require organizations to abandon existing technology investments that are working for them, forcing them to start from scratch and rebuild Zero Trust principles into a new architecture," said Samantha Madrid, Group VP of Security Business & Strategy, Juniper Networks. "Now, with the addition of CASB and DLP, Juniper addresses these concerns with a full-stack SASE suite of capabilities that are flexibly adopted and deployed while extending Zero Trust principles already implemented across the network to the cloud.”

https://newsroom.juniper.net/news/news-details/2022/Juniper-Networks-Offers-New-Secure-Edge-CASB-and-DLP-Capabilities-to-Simplify-the-SASE-Experience/default.aspx

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Orange Polska awards 10-year contract to Nokia

Orange Polska awarded a ten-year contract extension to Nokia. The improved deal, which will cover 50 percent of Orange’s network in northern Poland and run until 2036, will see the modernization of the operator’s existing radio network infrastructure as well as enhance its 5G capabilities. The move will support Orange’s strategy of delivering best-in-class services to its customers.

Under the contract, Nokia will upgrade all existing networks including equipment supporting phasing out Orange’s 3G network and infrastructural solutions enabling reallocating the frequencies to enhance its 4G coverage and capacity. This network refresh is scheduled to continue until 2025. Nokia will also supply equipment from its latest energy-efficient AirScale portfolio including Single RAN, AirScale base stations, and 5G Massive MIMO antennas for the operator’s 5G solution that covers all deployment scenarios from dense-urban capacity to wide-area coverage.

Nokia will also deliver equipment supporting C-Band spectrum when it is made available in Poland. C-Band spectrum, between 3.4 GHz and 3.8 GHz, is a crucial resource for operators to offer the best mix of 5G network capacity and coverage to subscribers. These solutions will support Orange’s network leadership while delivering superior connectivity and capacity to its customers. Nokia will also provide services, including digital deployment, technical support for operations and maintenance, as well as professional services.

Nokia also noted that it operates global R&D facilities with thousands of engineers in Wroclaw and Krakow.

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2022/06/07/nokia-wins-ten-year-network-expansion-deal-with-orange-polska/

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AT&T Private 5G powers DoD Smart Warehouse demo

AT&T participated in a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Navy demonstration showcasing a variety of 5G-powered technology solutions that can support the enablement of a Naval "Smart Warehouse."

AT&T's private 5G network, which powered the demonstrations at a warehouse in Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, delivered data throughput speeds of 3.9 Gbps with less than 10 milliseconds of latency.

The 5G Smart Warehouse project at Naval Base Coronado is the DoD program's use-case incorporating 5G capabilities for transshipments between shore facilities and naval units. The goal is to increase the efficiency and fidelity of naval logistic operations including identification, recording, organization, storage, retrieval, and the transportation of materiel and supplies.

Lance Spencer, Client Executive Vice President – Defense, AT&T Public Sector and FirstNet, states: "The AT&T 5G-powered solution we've delivered at Naval Base Coronado is a first of its kind, high-performance, highly secure, and scalable private network solution. We expect it will serve as the foundation for improved efficiency, timeliness, accuracy, security, and safety of Naval warehouse operations."

https://about.att.com/story/2022/smart-warehouse-dod-navy.html

• In October 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced $600 million in awards for 5G experimentation and testing at five U.S. military test sites, representing the largest full-scale 5G tests for dual-use applications in the world. DOD seeks to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge 5G testing and experimentation to strengthen our Nation's warfighting capabilities as well as U.S. economic competitiveness in this critical field.

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Dell'Oro: Supply constraints hit Wireless LAN Market in 1Q22

 Supply constraints plagued the Wireless LAN market in 1Q22, and would likely worsen in 2Q22 as a result of the China Covid lockdowns, according to a recently published report by Dell’Oro Group. 

Several US-based wireless LAN manufacturers announced that backlogs approached ten-to-fifteen times higher than normal.

“Many enterprises have planned network upgrades and the popular connection is Wi-Fi. The trouble is getting it. Several manufacturers announced that components from second and third-tier suppliers became the bottleneck in 1Q22,” said Tam Dell’Oro, Founder, CEO and Wireless LAN Analyst. “Supply constraints have resulted in highly volatile quarterly performance vendor-to-vendor depending on whether or not they have all the components. For example, sales may be up 20 percent in one quarter and down 20 percent the next. Another item, which could potentially cause delays, that we are keeping our eye on are the contract negotiations between the west coast dockworkers union and the Maritime Association,” added Dell’Oro.

Additional highlights from the Wireless LAN 1Q22 Quarterly Report:

• Wi-Fi 6E sales accelerated during the quarter as more manufacturers launched products and Extreme Networks and HPE Aruba expanded their portfolios. The adoption of Wi-Fi 6E (meaning the percent of total Indoor unit shipments as of the third quarter of the technology shipping) is tracking below the rates of the previous two technologies, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2. However, it is still early days and three quarters do not make a trend.
• For the fourth consecutive quarter, the Retail vertical continued to rank among the top-performing verticals.

https://www.delloro.com/news/supply-constraints-plague-wireless-lan-market-in-1q22-likely-worsen-in-2q22/

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Digital Realty appoints Mary Hogan Preusse as Chairman

Digital Realty appointed Mary Hogan Preusse as Chairman of the Board, succeeding Laurence Chapman, who will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. 

Ms. Hogan Preusse, a 30-year REIT industry veteran, joined Digital Realty's Board of Directors as an independent director in May 2017. Prior to joining Digital Realty's Board, from 2000-2017, she served as Managing Director and co-head of Americas Real Estate at APG Asset Management, managing the firm's public real estate investments in North and South America. Before APG, Ms. Hogan Preusse spent eight years as a sell-side analyst covering the REIT sector and began her career as an investment banking analyst at Merrill Lynch. 

"I was delighted to have Mary join the Board in 2017 and am confident that she is the right person to take the reins at this exciting time for Digital Realty and to lead the Board as we continue to accelerate the growth of our global platform," said Mr. Chapman. "Mary has played an instrumental and strategic role in driving Digital Realty's expansion and innovation since joining the Board. It has been a privilege to serve as Chairman of this strong and diverse Board, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Mary and the Digital Realty management team as a Director." 

"On behalf of the management team, I thank Laurence for his significant contributions and exemplary leadership as Chairman over the past five years," said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein. "Mary's extraordinary investment experience and knowledge of our industry and technology-driven platform will be tremendously valuable as we continue to adapt to the changing world and enable our customers to execute on their digital transformation initiatives globally.  I'm thrilled to work even more closely together with her to execute our long-term strategy." 

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WD considers its strategic options

Responding to input from Elliott Investment Management and other investors, Western Digital announced that it is reviewing potential strategic alternatives aimed at further optimizing long-term value for its shareholders. The Executive Committee of the Western Digital Board, chaired by Western Digital CEO, David Goeckeler, will oversee the assessment process and fully evaluate a comprehensive range of alternatives, including options for separating its market-leading Flash and HDD franchises. 

“The Board is aligned in the belief that maximizing value creation warrants a comprehensive assessment of strategic alternatives focused on structural options for the company’s Flash and HDD businesses,” said Goeckeler. “Through this process, we are actively engaging in a broad range of strategic and financial alternatives that will help further optimize the value of Western Digital, including Elliott’s offer to invest incremental equity capital in our Flash Business. We look forward to continuing our constructive dialogue with Elliott as this process unfolds.”

Elliott Managing Partner Jesse Cohn and Senior Portfolio Manager Jason Genrich said, “Western Digital is strongly positioned in an industry that represents a compelling growth opportunity, and we have confidence in David and his management team’s execution, strategic vision and focus on shareholder value. We’re encouraged by the positive direction of our discussions so far, and by Western Digital’s openness to considering a full separation of its Flash business. We are pleased that Western Digital’s Board is conducting this review, and Elliott is prepared to provide strategic resources and additional capital to help the company realize the full value of both of its businesses.”

https://www.westerndigital.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/2022/2022-06-07-western-digital-announces-review-of-strategic-alternatives

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OpenLight unveils Silicon Photonics platform with integrated InP lasers

OpenLight, a start-up based in Santa Barbara, California, introduced its open silicon photonics platform with integrated lasers.

OpenLight operates under the tagline, "Open. Integrated. Scalable." The open platform includes integrated lasers, optical amplifiers, modulators, photodetectors, and other key photonic components to form a complete solution for low-power, high-performance photonics ICs. In addition, OpenLight offers select PIC designs and design services to accelerate time-to-market. 

The company says it aims to accelerate the development of high-performance photonic integrated circuits (PICs) in applications such as datacom, telecom, LiDAR, healthcare, HPC, AI, and optical computing. The technology has passed qualification and reliability tests on Tower's PH18DA production process. OpenLight expects the first open Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) shuttle run on the PH18DA process as well as 400G and 800G reference designs with integrated lasers to be available in Summer 2022.

By processing the Indium Phosphide (InP) materials directly on the silicon photonics wafer, the PH18DA platform reduces the cost and time of adding lasers, enabling volume scalability and improved power efficiency. In addition, monolithically integrated lasers improve overall reliability and simplify packaging. 

"The rapidly growing silicon photonics market is being driven by the relentless demand for higher bandwidth needed to analyze, store and move complex data," said Dr. Thomas Mader, Chief Operating Officer at OpenLight. "OpenLight's open silicon photonics platform with integrated lasers enables scaling from one laser to hundreds, or even thousands of lasers per PIC, all monolithically integrated at the wafer level. With our platform, companies can enter emerging markets faster, accelerate new applications and completely change the way their teams build photonic systems of tomorrow."

"We strongly believe that OpenLight's technology will transform the silicon photonics industry," said Dr. Marco Racanelli, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Tower Semiconductor's Analog Business Unit. "Providing an open silicon photonics platform with integrated lasers that has been qualified on Tower's process will help mutual customers innovate and fuel the next generation of silicon photonics designs at scale. We are excited to partner with OpenLight in this journey."

http://www.openlightphotonics.com

• OpenLight is led by Dr. Thomas Mader, Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Daniel Sparacin, VP of Business Development and Strategy, and Dr. Volkan Kaman, VP of Engineering.

Synopsys and Juniper form joint venture for silicon photonics

Monday, April 04, 2022  Juniper, Silicon Photonics, Synopsys  

Synopsys and Juniper Networks are establishing a joint venture company focused on open silicon photonics for applications such as telecom, datacom, LiDAR, healthcare, HPC, AI, and optical computing. The new company's open silicon photonics platform will include integrated lasers, optical amplifiers, and a full suite of photonic components to form a complete solution that will be accessible through a Process Design Kit (PDK). The platform promises...

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Tower Semi and Juniper develop silicon photonics process 

Tuesday, December 21, 2021  Israel, Juniper, Silicon Photonics, Tower Semiconductor  

Tower Semiconductor and Juniper Networks announced a silicon photonics (SiPho) foundry-ready process with integrated III-V lasers, amplifiers modulators and detectors. Potential applications include optical connectivity in datacenters and telecom networks, as well as AI, LiDAR and other sensors. The new platform co-integrates III-V lasers, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA), electro-absorption modulators (EAM) and photodetectors with...

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Windstream Wholesale launches nationwide 400G routes

 Windstream Wholesale announced the following 400G wave service routes:

• Ashburn, Va., to Chicago, Denver, San Jose and Los Angeles
• Atlanta to Dallas, Phoenix, San Jose and Los Angeles
• Seattle to Portland, San Jose and Los Angeles
• Chicago to Dallas and Atlanta

“The bandwidth demands facing large enterprise and hyperscale customers are expanding and evolving rapidly as the transition to cloud services and cloud computing accelerates, and Windstream Wholesale is enhancing our long-haul network to ensure we meet their needs,” said Joe Scattareggia, chief revenue officer of Windstream Wholesale. “We are cascading a phased approach that gives our customers time to plan as we continue to invest and enable 400G services across our entire core long-haul network.”

Windstream Wholesale is also taking orders now for the following routes, which will be 400G capable in the second half of 2022:

• Chicago to Atlanta and Miami
• Chicago to Newark and New York City
• Atlanta to Ashburn, Newark and New York City
• McAllen, Texas; to Dallas, Memphis, Ashburn and New York City

The company will begin accepting orders for the third phase of its 400G expansion starting in the third quarter of 2022.

https://www.windstreamwholesale.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Windstream-Wholesale-National-Network.pdf

Windstream Wholesale completes 400G ZR+ trials

Monday, April 18, 2022  400ZR, Silicon  

Windstream Wholesale completed interoperability testing of QSFP-DD form factor ZR+ pluggable modules from II-VI and Acacia, now part of Cisco. The tests established 400 Gigabit links in a production environment over a 1,027-kilometer link. The team also leveraged the Marvell Deneb Coherent DSP within a native 0 dBm II-VI pluggable and the Acacia module using the Greylock DSP. Industry standard oFEC algorithms were also used in the trials.“These...

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Windstream Wholesale and Infinera develop Node-on-a-Blade 

Thursday, March 03, 2022  Infinera, Windstream Wholesale  

Windstream Wholesale will transform its optical network infrastructure using an innovative Node-on-a-Blade jointly pioneered by Infinera and Windstream.The companies describe Node-on-a-Blade as the next evolution of ROADM-based solutions that will provide a more advanced and cost-effective approach to optical networking enabling deployment across a wider variety of network locations. Advanced capabilities include a coherent optical channel monitor...

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NTT DOCOMO announces 6G partnerships

NTT DOCOMO and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) announced partnerships with Fujitsu, NEC, and Nokia to conduct experimental trials of new mobile communications technologies for the targeted commercial launch of 6G services by around 2030.

Launching the envisioned 6G services will require verification of numerous new mobile technologies, including those needed to newly use frequencies in the millimeter and sub-terahertz (above 6 GHz) bands, in addition to bands for existing 5G services. The trials are also expected to verify AI-based wireless transmission methods. DOCOMO and NTT will jointly conduct experimental trials with the three vendors, focusing on mobile technologies using new 6G frequency bands and AI-based wireless technology among these various mobile technologies.

The new 6G system will greatly exceed the performance of 5G and simultaneously provide high-speed, large capacity, and low latency capabilities, use new high-frequency bands such as sub-terahertz bands above 100 GHz, expand communication coverage in the sky, at sea and in space, and enable both ultra-low-power consumption and low-cost communications.

Naoki Tani, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at DOCOMO, said: "6G studies are progressing two or three years ahead of that of 5G. From this early stage, we would like to collaborate with world-leading global vendors to proactively demonstrate breakthrough concepts and technologies and promote them to the world."

DOCOMO and NTT will begin conducting indoor trials within the fiscal year ending in March 2023, and outdoor trials will begin in the following fiscal year. The trials are expected to verify concepts proposed so far by DOCOMO and NTT and will be reported in global research groups, international conferences and standardization activities related to 6G, and will serve as a foundation for more advanced technologies.

https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/info/media_center/pr/2022/0606_00.html

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Nokia collaborates with DOCOMO on 6G

Nokia announced a partnership with DOCOMO and NTT to jointly define and develop key technologies towards 6G. 

The collaboration will focus on two proof-of-concepts for emerging 6G technologies: an AI native air interface and sub-THz radio access. These aim to demonstrate a performance gain with an AI based 6G air interface compared to a conventional air interface, and to show that high-data rate beamformed access can be achieved in a high frequency band at 140 GHz.

Nokia envisions six key technologies that will be vital components of future 6G networks: new spectrum technologies, AI native air interface, network as a sensor, extreme connectivity, cognitive, automated and specialized architectures, and security and trust.

Among the six key technology components, the initial focus of the partnership is to demonstrate the benefits of AI-based learned waveform in the transmitter with a deep learning receiver in the mid-band, as well as to test high data rate indoor communications in the sub-THz band. These technologies have the potential to substantially improve deployment flexibility and to increase network throughput beyond that of 5G in the respective spectrum bands and without necessarily increasing energy consumption. Providing high-rate access will be important in enabling enhanced and new use cases in the 6G era, such as multi-modal mixed-reality telepresence and remote collaboration, massive twinning and collaborating robots.

The plan is to set up environments for experiments and demonstrations in DOCOMO and NTT premises in Japan and Nokia premises in Stuttgart, Germany, and to begin performing the desired tests and measurements in 2022.

Naoki Tani, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at DOCOMO, said: "DOCOMO has been collaborating with Nokia since 2014 to accelerate the experimental trials for 5G wireless technology and promote the creation of new use cases. We are excited to work with Nokia to realize the 6G concept. DOCOMO and NTT will now start the experimental trials of two 6G proof-of-concepts for high-rate transmission in the sub-THz band and AI native air interface, and contribute to 6G commercialization with vertical industry partners."

Peter Vetter, President Bell Labs Core Research, Nokia, said: “We envision that 6G will unify the human experience across the digital, physical and human worlds. We build on a long tradition of collaborations between the world-leading labs at DOCOMO and Nokia Bell Labs. Nokia is very honored to engage in this collaboration with DOCOMO and NTT, as global leading operators that are always among the first to bring new generations to the market. We look forward to working together and validating key concepts and key technologies to realize the 6G vision.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2022/06/06/nokia-docomo-and-ntt-bring-6g-vision-to-life/

Next G Alliance outlines North America's roadmap for 6G

Thursday, February 03, 2022  6G  

by Benedict Chua, Associate EditorATIS’ Next G Alliance published a Roadmap to 6G report that presents the first 6G vision for North America and describes major steps that industry, government and academia should take to ensure North American wireless leadership for the next decade.ATIS said more than 600 experts from 80 Next G Alliance members representing industry, government and academia came together to create the 43-page report.The following...

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European Commission plans €900 million for 6G research

Sunday, February 28, 2021  6G, EU  

by Benedict Chua, Associate Editor The European Commission is backing a public R&I investment of €900 million over its new long-term budget period 2021-2027 to coordinate research activities on 6G technology under Horizon Europe as well as 5G deployment initiatives under the Connecting Europe Facility Digital and other programmes.A first set of 6G projects worth €60 million launched last month under the 5G-PPP with the Hexa-X flagship developing...

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CityFibre secures £4.9bn in financing

CityFibre announced a debt package totalling £4.9bn for underwriting its rollout to a third of the UK market by 2025.

The debt raise is underwritten by NatWest, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole CIB, BBVA, Intesa Sanpaolo, ING and SEB; with ABN AMRO, Lloyds Bank and the pensions and M&G Investments, the international asset manager, joining as core lenders.

Also participating as a core lender is the recently established UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), recognising CityFibre’s contribution to critical national infrastructure deployment and the Government’s levelling up programme.

The financing follows £1.125bn in equity investments that CityFibre has closed in the last ten months from two new investors, Mubadala and Interogo Holding as well as from existing investors Antin Infrastructure Partners and the Infrastructure business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Combined, these debt and equity funds will fully finance the completion of CityFibre’s rollout to 8m homes, 800k businesses, 400k public sector sites and 250k 5G access points. They will also establish the UK’s first large-scale, carrier-neutral Full Fibre infrastructure platform, providing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and mobile operators with access to the nation’s most advanced fixed-line network and unleashing over £38bn in economic benefits to help level up the UK.

Greg Mesch, Chief Executive Officer of CityFibre, said: “Over the last decade we’ve built a business that has transformed the UK’s digital connectivity landscape for the better. With our rollout now fully financed, backed by so many esteemed financial institutions, we have emerged as a strong national challenger.

“But CityFibre’s aim is not simply to challenge. It’s to be better. It’s to establish ourselves as the preferred network wherever we build, bringing higher-quality, more affordable infrastructure within reach of millions and unleashing the transformative economic potential of Full Fibre to help level up the UK. We have never been more confident that we will succeed.”

https://cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-completes-a-4-9bn-debt-raise-in-one-of-europes-largest-ever-full-fibre-financings

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Latvia's LMT picks Nokia 5G Standalone Core

LMT, a communication service provider based in Latvia, has selected Nokia's 5G Standalone (SA) Core to deliver new advanced 5G services, like network slicing, enhance its network experience and reliability, and more quickly monetize its network assets. The deal widens Nokia’s footprint in LMT, which already uses Nokia Cloud Packet Core, Subscriber Data Management, and software solutions for 5G signaling and cloud management. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The deployment will also include the Nokia 7220 Interconnect Router for data center fabric.

Nokia notes that is now has 60 customers for its 5G SA Core, including around 30 CSPs in Europe. In addition, 25 of the top 40 communication service providers globally by revenue rely on Nokia Core network products.

Fran Heeran, SVP & Head of Core Networks, Cloud and Network Services, at Nokia, said: “We are proud to build on our solid partnership with LMT by providing it with Nokia’s market leading Core Network technology to enable the rollout of advanced 5G services. LMT already provides its customers with a strong experience and we look forward to furthering that work.”   

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2022/06/06/nokia-5g-standalone-core-selected-by-lmt-to-deliver-advanced-5g-services-in-latvia/

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Anritsu and AeroGT Labs partner on 5G MIMO OTA testing

Anritsu and AeroGT Labs are collaborating on 5G Multiple-In Multiple-Out (MIMO) Over-the-Air (OTA) test platforms to characterize, test, and optimize antennas. The platforms perform single- or multiple-use antenna performance and reliability tests on products, such as vehicles, mobile devices, and similar designs, in a simulated environment before commercialization.  

Vehicle antenna performance is vital in advanced autonomous driving vehicles and critical automotive safety features, such as eCall. In modern vehicles, there is a minimum of 15 onboard antennas that link communications, entertainment, self-driving, and safety subsystems. They must be tested singularly and simultaneously to ensure proper operation and their ability to coexist.   

The turnkey systems integrate solutions from General Test Systems (GTS) and the Anritsu MT8821C and MT8000A. 

"The millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency range is characterized by high-performance and robust reliability and is ideal for 5G MIMO OTA applications," said Steve Wong, Chief Marketing Officer for AeroGT. "While performing OTA MIMO measurements in a mmWave anechoic chamber is necessary to obtain reliable and accurate measurements, a myriad of other instrumentation, such as vector network analyzers, signal generators, and automation software, is required and must be integrated to form a fully functional system.

http://www.anritsu.com

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T-Mobile activates first Voice Over 5G areas

Marking a milestone for its Standalone (SA) 5G network, T-Mobile activated commercial Voice Over 5G (VoNR) service in limited areas of Portland, Ore. and Salt Lake City for customers with the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G. T-Mobile plans to continue its VoNR rollout to many additional areas and 5G smartphones this year.

Customers connected to VoNR will notice slightly faster call set-up times, meaning less delay between the time they dial a number and when the phone starts ringing. 

More importantly, T-Mobile says VoNR brings it one step closer to truly unleashing its standalone 5G network because it enables advanced capabilities like network slicing that rely on a continuous connection to a 5G core.

“The commercial launch of the VoNR service is another important step in T-Mobile’s successful 5G deployment,” said Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson. “It demonstrates how we as partners can introduce 5G voice based on the Ericsson solution.”

“We are proud of our partnership with T-Mobile to bring the full capabilities of 5G to customers in the United States,” said Tommi Uitto, President, Nokia Mobile Networks. “Nokia’s radio and core solutions power T-Mobile’s 5G standalone network – and this VoNR deployment is a critical step forward for the new 5G voice ecosystem.”

https://www.T-Mobile.com/coverage

O2 completes Germany's first 5G Voice over New Radio call

Wednesday, September 22, 2021  Germany, Telefonica, VoNR  

O2 has become the first German mobile network operator to make a Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call purely over its live 5G network. Currently, voice calls in all German mobile networks are completed using 3G and 4G technologies.VoNR is currently possible in the live network at O2's first 5G mobile stations in Potsdam and Munich."Voice over New Radio will enable our customers to make optimum use of the network in the future. We are introducing...

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China Mobile, Huawei, establish 5G VoNR+ working group

Wednesday, September 01, 2021  5G, China Mobile, Huawei, Standards  

China Mobile, Huawei and over 10 other partners have established a 5G VoNR+ (New Calling) Working Group for the 5G Deterministic Networking Alliance (5GDNA). The Working Group aims to facilitate 5G new calling industry collaboration and aims to promote VoNR+ new calling standards and technologies, boost its industry, and build an industry ecosystem.Huawei says that as 5G integrates with AR and VR technologies, new services such as visual menus,...

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DT tests multivendor 5G voice over new radio (VoNR) call 

Thursday, June 03, 2021  Deutsche Telekom  

Deutsche Telekom and partners completed the first 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call in an end to end multi-vendor environment. The partners were able to verify the capability over a 5G Standalone (SA) network with voice and 5G data sessions in parallel. This network setup integrated a 5G Core from Ericsson and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) from Nokia. The calls were completed on commercial terminals from Samsung and Xiaomi and a Mobile Test...

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T-Mobile US inks multi-billion-dollar deals with Ericsson and Nokia 

Wednesday, January 13, 2021  T-Mobile  

T-Mobile US has signed new five-year, multi-billion-dollar agreements with both Ericsson and Nokia for the continued expansion of its 5G network.  Financial terms were not disclosed. Both vendors have been long-term suppliers to T-Mobile.“T-Mobile already has the largest 5G network in the country,” said Neville Ray, T-Mobile President of Technology. “These agreements with our longstanding 5G partners Nokia and Ericsson will help us take our...

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Gartner: Cloud IaaS market grew 41.4% in 2021

The worldwide infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market grew 41.4% in 2021, to total $90.9 billion, up from $64.3 billion in 2020, according to Gartner's “Market Share: IT Services, Worldwide, 2021”.  The report ranks Amazon in the No. 1 position in the IaaS market in 2021, followed by Microsoft, Alibaba, Google and Huawei. These five players account for 80% of the market.

“The IaaS market continues to grow unabated as cloud-native becomes the primary architecture for modern workloads,” said Sid Nag, VP analyst at Gartner. “Cloud supports the scalability and composability that advanced technologies and applications require, while also enabling enterprises to address emerging needs such as sovereignty, data integration and enhanced customer experience.”

Some notes:

• Amazon continued to lead the worldwide IaaS market with revenue of $35.4 billion in 2021 and 38.9% market share (see Table 1).
• Microsoft followed in the No. 2 position with 21.1% share and above-market growth, reaching over $19 billion in IaaS revenue in 2021. With many organizations already relying on Microsoft’s enterprise software and services, Azure has been positioned to capture opportunities across nearly every vertical market.
• Alibaba was again the No. 3 IaaS public cloud provider worldwide with 9.5% market share and revenue of $8.7 billion for 2021. While Alibaba continues to lead the Chinese cloud market, it is also poised to be the leading regional provider in Indonesia, Malaysia, and other emerging cloud markets, given its local market understanding and ability to serve as a bridge to digital commerce.
• Google Cloud saw the highest growth rate of the top five IaaS vendors, growing 63.7% in 2021 to reach $6.4 billion in revenue. This growth was driven by steadily increased adoption for traditional enterprise workloads as well as Google’s innovation in more cutting-edge capabilities such as artificial intelligence and Kubernetes container technologies, supported by an expansion of their partner ecosystem to reach a wider customer base.
• While Huawei’s growth tempered in 2021 after two straight years of over 200% growth, it still maintained the No. 5 market share position with $4.2 billion in revenue. Huawei has made significant investments in its IaaS ecosystem in the past two years, and through an enhanced strategy of open hardware, open-source software and partner enablement it has been able to provide expanded offerings for universities, developers and startups.

https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-06-02-gartner-says-worldwide-iaas-public-cloud-services-market-grew-41-percent-in-2021

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